’I‘liis 1;irgc tloulolc-f;icctl tigiirc (flxrlilii origzwu’u) is typical of one liow siil)stylc. Its size ;ilone ;ittests to its great ritiial impor- t;iiicc ;is gii;iriii;iii of ;I hskct of rclics Ioclonging to an estensive lincagc group. I t has two o\wiil fiiccs, one concave (here (lec- ol.:itcd \vit11 strips of brass on the forehead reminiscent of the ornamentation uscil by groups north of the Sebe IUvcr), and the other :i coiiiloination of concave and coii\‘cs, with an ovcr- h;inging loro\\, cutting striiight across the face. (‘l’lie latter rc- calls thc foiin of hlvuili inaslis of the Niljaloi and :\diiiiia pco- plc.) ’I’hc sharp crescent-shaped crest is wide, as are tlic sides

Equatorial :\frica

of the coil‘fiirc with their cylinilriciil c;irtlrops. The iiccoration consists entirely of Iorass :mtl copper platlues. Itlcntifying cm- lolcms appear u11 fnont anil I);icli of the crest. Is this ÍI syml)ol- ically male and fciiialc object? No cviclencc supports this hy- pothesis.

Scvcriil fc;iturcs allo\v LIS to group this piccc ui th a nuiiil)cr of others: the I)iisc with its clcgiiitly pointed “shoulilcrs”; tlic eyes (coffcc-loc;in slinpc \\.¡th slits or n:iilhcatls for pupils); ;inil the Illollth on thc Co11ci\ve-con\.cs f m ! (tlccol-atctl \\.it11 ¡I CO\\TiC shell anil incised teeth in the iiimicr of .\lviiiii masks). It is

199

Ilquatorial ;\frica.

pcissil)lc thot the entire group is tlG \vorl; of a single school- sotiic even of ;i singlc mist , \vho iinfortun;itcly renxiins un- lm)\\~li . '

Several early illustrations (de Brazza 1887) show these fig- tires arranged on large baskets (tnbdii, tntisuku, or nstrwu) coii- taining relics of mxstors. . \ I I the reliquaries in a village were groupcd togethcr under a small shelter a\vny from the houses, in ;i sort of sanctiiary for ancestors. I n contrast to the Fang, \vhosc I3ycri cult I)ccamc a family concern at the beginning of the t\vcnticth century, the Kota-especially those in the south (Olxinilxi, Mindumu, Minclassa, 13a~~~iimbu)-practiccci a niorc communal cult in conjunction with initiation societies (ngqe) and on thc villagc Ic\d.

L. Permi i

I . Similir csamples ilre in the ßritish Museum, A4usi.c de I'I-Iomme, 1lusi.c iI'.\ngoulCme, :ind collections of Pierre VeritC., Schaffel, Van Iiiisscl, and I . P~iilcs.

kefL.rems: :Inclersson 1953, 1974; Pcrrois 1979. .

110. RllLIQU.-\RY FIGURE Giibon, Kota Ctfooíl, brass, copper, bone, H. 20 in. (50.8 cm.) 19th-20th century

'l'hc l h a of equatorial .\frica live (Upper Ogo\vc region) and the Pec (Boiienza-I,oiiesse region). The groups, \\hich are more or less clo

tecnth. These travels took

The northern Kota tim, abstract and two pcr shcets almost esc

any substyles, which can be classi- s to date and place of origin.

type of coiffure with curved sides. This group, whose forms resemble certain of those in the Mahongwe and Shamaye sub- styles, is made only in Gabon, in the valleys of the Sebe and upper Ogowe rivers. Distinctive features are the transverse crest of the coiffure, whose tips are joined to the side pieces; the concave oval face decorated with narrow bands of brass

and nose. This second face may indicate a concern

a concave face is d to a concave-convcs one \rith an

L. Perroir

20 1

A f r i c an

FOR SPIRITS AND KINGS

. Art from t Le Paul and Ruth Tishman Collection

Edited by Susan Vogel

Ti*aiislatioizs and additional research by Kate Ezra Photogyaphs by Jcrry L. 'I'hoiiipson

T H E METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ,4RT Distributed by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York